The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-19

way narrowly for the candidate. escaped being
coroner's jury. Let it only suffice, under. this
head. to say that as regarded the theoloeic al
part OF the examination, the candidate proved to
DC neither long enough nor short enough to mt
the traditional bed of Procrustes and practiced
observer could easily see in the faces OF the
grave assembly of divines dark premonitions of
the tate which awaited Plymouth Church and
their elected minister, as far as this depended
on the word of fallible men.
IL was with evident sense of relief that the
council passed from the department of theology
20 that OF his personal religious experience,
whose story the candidate was invited to re-
bearse. Then was introduced scene never to
De forgotten by any who witnessed it. In SIM
pie, child like phrases Mr.. Beecher told the
story OF his conversion and his conservation to
the Christian ministry. Speedily spirit of
tearIul tenderness took possession OF both the
MID sunlieh: of early morn lifts the somber
shadows from the landscape, and blades and
blossoms sparkle with dewdrops.
Ii my memory serves me, all eyes in the grave
assem- olage were wet, and there was such thaw
OF theological cicles as few of lions summer
Jay nave ever seen. Down hard faces, over
whose lines, not only piety but intolerance had
sat sculptor. tears ran fast. and the wrinkles
ana burrows of age and thought had like to have
overnowed their borders, like the dried channels
OF brooks in plentiful rain. Never was such a
sudden and unexpected TRANSPORTATION of a
conclo ad clerum' into an experience meeting "
Inc heart had conquered when the head prov ed
on. an lnhrm warrior and an unskiled observer,
as was, could not repress a faith that the can
didate was now certain to win unanimous YER
dict in his favor
concerning this am now going to tell little
secret. secret mean with which believe the
public for forty years has been unacquainted.
Ire examination of the candidate concluded,
the council resolved itself into a secret body to
decide upon the fate of the church and its elect
ed pastor. How then should l have known OF
those private conferences I will tell
you. In my fathers house. as a guest,
was one of the most prominent mem
oers OF the council, who told me Of those yelled
and hushed transactions and the sum of it was
this: 1t was nearly the unanimous opinion OF
the council that Notwithstanding the exception
ally rich personal religious experience of the
candidate, as rehearsed before them it would be
| inexpedient to install him by reason of the many
weak points in his theological harness; and il
looked for an ominouS space of time as II Ply
mouth Church would not get their elected pastor
| after all, unless, mayhap, by declaring the doc
trine of ecclesiastical State rights and secession
Thereupon DR.. Edward Bsecher, the elder
brother of the candidate, still living at the age
| OF more than four score, arose and tenderly i'm
portuned his brethren in the ministry to give
| the matter indulgent consideration, for the
reason that his brother Henry had been fol
years so absorbed with missionary labor as te
| render theological study, technically considered
| almost impossbility. And as the battle oil
| Marathon was fought upon the decision of a ma
| jority of one in the council Of war, the fate Of
| Plymouth Church and its glorious pastor, so fal
| as 1t hung upon the word of these counsellns
| eccesiastics, hung trembling in the balance; ant
| but for that importuning appeal of Mr.. Beech
| er's elder brother, the love-rnaking of thi.
| church and their elected minister might hav
| ended in the ecclesiastical death and burial .
| hath